


Star on top

by Ulqueleh (Ulquii)



Series: Holiday Ficlets! [22]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Tree, Christmas star, Comfort, Found Family, Gen, Hunk (Voltron)-centric, Light Angst, Retrospective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:49:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28287993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ulquii/pseuds/Ulqueleh
Summary: Putting the star on the top of the Christmas tree has always been something meaningful in Hunk’s family. It was something about reaching up to your dreams. He remembers as a kid he used to always look in awe when his grandparents did it, he used to always beg for his turn when he was a bit older and it was his parents’ turn, he used to impatiently tap his foot and hop in place when it was his older cousins’ turn.“Be patient, honey,” his mother used to say, “It will be your turn soon.”
Relationships: Allura/Lance (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Holiday Ficlets! [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071713
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	Star on top

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sepiacigarettes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sepiacigarettes/gifts).



Putting the star on the top of the Christmas tree has always been something meaningful in Hunk’s family. It was something about reaching up to your dreams. He remembers as a kid he used to always look in awe when his grandparents did it, he used to always beg for his turn when he was a bit older and it was his parents’ turn, he used to impatiently tap his foot and hop in place when it was his older cousins’ turn.

“Be patient, honey,” his mother used to say, “It will be your turn soon.”

He never got the chance to do it, though. He never got his turn. When he had reached the age he would be given the star, Hunk had been accepted on the Garrison and he couldn’t go back to his family on Christmas.

Then two years later, Hunk was thrown to space with four other people in a giant robotic blue cat.

Then they were all in danger. They were all the universe had and needed. The war had to be won and an empire had to be defeated.

Then they came back to a shattered Earth, to a broken humanity, and the sole idea of thinking of Christmas with his family had become painful, because there was so much left to do. ‘Later,’ he had thought, ‘I can think about it later.’

But then when the universe was saved and Hunk had the opportunity to think about it thoroughly, he realized with bitter melancholy that he had lost his turn in getting the star on top, now his siblings being of age and Hunk having just too many responsibilities.

He shouldn’t feel bad about it. It’s just something silly. Still, it’s a bitter pain. He never put the star on top of the tree —he never reached his dreams.

“We have to fill this side with more blues,” he hears Lance say, gesturing to one side of the pine tree they managed to sneak in the common room.

“You just want the whole tree to be blue,” Pidge points out, handing Allura a red ornament with snowflakes scattered on its surface.

“Weren’t you the Paladin of the Red Lion?” Romelle asks, tilting her head, and both Lance and Keith look at her in shock.

“I’m the Red Paladin!” Keith claims at the same time Lance stutters that his heart will always belong to his dearest Blue Lion.

“I thought we had moved past this,” Shiro chides in with a smile after hanging another gingerbread cookie ornament on the pine tree, “And I think it looks very good,”

“You’ll always be my Blue Paladin, sweetie,” Allura says kissing Lance’s cheek.

Keith and Pidge groan when Lance blushes, kissing her back, and Shiro laughs.

“Shut up,” Pidge shoves Keith, “You two are as gross!”

Keith mouths in disbelief and Shiro blushes.

“No, we’re not!”

“Yes, you are!”

“Guys…” Shiro tries to interfere, still a little bashful from the call out, but they keep bickering at each other, “Hunk, a little help?”

He doesn’t respond, though, too focused in staring at the little crystal star he’s holding with both hands, careful as if it’s something precious. ‘It kind of is,’ he thinks to himself eyeing the curved base, ‘It’s meant to be on top.’ It’s meant to illuminate the whole tree. It’s meant to be the final touch.

“Hunk?”

He blinks, looking up to meet Shiro’s eyes. He’s now beside him instead of near the tree, hanging up the ornaments near the top that the rest of them can’t reach without an unattached limb. Hunk figures he’d be who puts the star on top.

“Oh, yeah?” Hunk asks, handing the star, but Shiro just looks at it, tiny in Hunk’s palms, for a few seconds, “What?”

“Do you want to put it on top?” Shiro asks with a smile and Hunk frowns.

“But I can’t reach the top,” Hunk murmurs and Shiro huffs, hand falling on Hunk’s shoulder and squeezing reassuringly.

“Everyone can reach the top,” Shiro answers with a lopsided smile, “Maybe with a little help, but not anything we can’t help you with.”

Hunk blinks and then looks over where his friends, his _family_ , is decorating the tree, and a sense of belonging pulls at his chest.

“Can I really?” Hunk asks, his voice cracking at the end, and Shiro’s eyes glint with fondness.

“Of course,” he says, turning Hunk towards the tree and walking him over, “Let’s do it.”

After a little struggle and lots of laughs, Hunk puts the star on top, and staring at it, glittering in the light of the common room, with his found family joking around and standing beside him he realizes.

Hunk had reached his dreams all along.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject) (including the [LLF Comment Builder](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/commentbuilder)), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates responses, including:
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Questions
>   * “<3” as extra kudos
>   * Reader-reader interaction
> 

> 
> This author replies to comments.
> 
> If you don’t want a reply, for any reason (sometimes I feel shy when I’m reading and not up to starting a conversation, for example), feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!
> 
> ~
> 
> Come and yell with me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ulqueleh)!


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